The Awesome Autistic Go-To Guide: A Practical Handbook for Autistic Teens and Tweens

The Awesome Autistic Guide to...

by Yenn Purkis, Tanya Masterman

This book explores what it feels like to be a young person on the autism spectrum and looks at all the brilliant things people on the autism spectrum can do. Full of insights about being awesome and autistic, this book celebrates the strengths of understanding the world in a different way. It looks at all the reasons being you and thinking differently can be totally awesome! It also has tips for managing tricky situations such as meltdowns, sensory differences and anxiety. It includes fun activities and diary pages where you can write your thoughts and feelings to help you concentrate on your strengths and work on your challenges. This book helps you develop the confidence to be who you are and help you live life with as little stress and anxiety as possible.

Genres: Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Nonfiction, Disability, Self Help, Parenting, Mental Health, Middle Grade

112 pages, Paperback

Published April 21, 2020

Reviews

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 12 year old got his ASC diagnosis this summer, and we are all still trying to get our heads round what that all means, but he found this one really helpful and came to us with lots of it highlighted saying “thats me!”, which seems like high praise to us.

[Marijana Zadro · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok; 2,5 ⭐️

Not good but also not terrible.

It is a really short read, so not really getting into depth but rather scratching on the surface. A few more pages wouldn’t have been a bad idea if you ask me. Every chapter was really short and the shortness of the book was harmful to the quality of the content. A lot of chapters would have definitely needed some more explanations and information. E.g masking

I prefer books that go into depth. This book had little to no new informations or insights for me. I guess I am just not the target audience, I already had some basic knowledge regarding neurodivergency . Probably more suitable for people with absolutely no clue about autism, I am thinking about educating a family member or something in that direction.

The few information we got were all right, there are some minor things like not mentioning hyposensitivity but these things are again more about the lack rather than the falsehood of statements

I am a teenager and I really felt like being talked to like a child

So as an overview for someone with no knowledge about autism it’s good, if you are excepting anything more than that, you are probably not going to get that

[Me myself and random stuff · Rating 5 out of 5]

though the book was aimed a little younger then I am now (I'm guessing as it covers tweens and I'm 16) it didn't really feel like it.
I learnt new stuff about my Autism with the section on meltdowns being super helpful as having only been diagnosed a few years ago I haven't quite learned past some of the bias that are thrown around.
I also loved the casual mention of LGBTQIA+ and casual use of they/them pronouns for example characters and just in writing though I shouldn't have been too surprised as one of the authors (Yenn Purkis) is non-binary and a great advocate for gender diversity. it was just great seeing these things being mentioned as its a big part of some autistics lives including me
:)
a really great read

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by a professional at my child's school. As the title suggests it is aimed at teens and tweens, which made it a quicker read as an adult. However, it was still packed with practical explanations, advice and reassurance that young people could use themselves, or that parents could drawn from to help their child.

I would recommend reading this book at any age if you want a positive and practical perspective on what it is like to be autistic and see/experience the world in this unique and very personal way.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short introduction to autism is neurodivergence affirming. It is the perfect length be read and discussed with autistic tweens, or for a tween to read alone. Some teens might find the book helpful, but that age group could be better served by something more expansive.

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely affirming book for Autistic tweens and teens! I’m an Autistic adult who would’ve loved to have this book as a young person so I immediately passed it on to my tween and might add to this review with her thoughts if she wants to share them!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book for autistic tweens and younger teens. Also highly recommend for their family and friends.

The book is heart warming and I appreciate it reminding my autistic child of just how awesome she is!

[Simply Sienna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh wow. How I wish I could've read this book as a teen. It would've made so much difference in my life and made my journey into adulthood so much easier, but I'm just as glad I read it now. It was a nice book to read. The authors knew what they were speaking about while having a friendly but assertive tone.

They seemed to include so much information into only a short book, and it was so easy for my brain to read. It literally took me 2 days. It did have a slightly childlike picture and writing element to it, but that is because who the writers intended it for.

I think it's a great book to read if u want a little book to introduce you to Autism. So many people have misunderstood perceptions to it, and this book covered easy to understand information. I also wanted to mention how I appreciate that this book covered consent.

I've read a lot of books similar to this, which have covered bodily autonomy and human rights, etc. But this was the only one that I've read, which spoke about how it's not okay for people to want you to do something to/for them without your consent. It's just as important to warn someone about someone doing something to you that you don't agree to.

And it is important to teach children that this is also not okay and you can also say no. Because when people are taught about consent and SA, etc, they only usually speak about it in regard to what people do to you. When this can actually be the other way around, and they want you to do that to them. I really enjoyed reading this book, and I like the interactive element as it helped solidify what you learned in each chapter.

[Petra Petrella · Rating 4 out of 5]

A warm, practical feelings guide for autistic kids (and the adults around them), led by two autistic authors, and a tiny meerkat sidekick, covering what emotions can feel like, why they show up differently, and what to do when your brain gets overloaded.

YAY for
😊 Written by autistic authors: validating, respectful, and refreshingly non-pathologizing.
😊 Concrete tools: coping strategies, real-life scripts, and activities you can actually use.
😊 Covers the big hitters: anxiety, anger, meltdowns, sensory overload, and “not knowing what you feel” in a child-friendly way.
😊 Great for multiple settings: home, school, therapy, and anyone building an emotional “toolbox.”

NAY for
🤔 Leans wordy at times: some readers may want more visuals or extra breathing room on the page- though the level of detail also feels true to an autistic-led voice. As someone who relates to autistic traits, I didn’t mind this, but I can see how it might not work for everyone.
🤔 Best as a guided read for some kids: younger readers may benefit from doing it with a parent/teacher/therapist.

My Bottom Line & Note for the Author
A genuinely helpful, affirming resource that helps autistic kids feel seen while giving them practical strategies for everyday emotional overwhelm. Min the meerkat is a cute, effective guide, and the overall tone feels like a supportive coach rather than a lecture. This is an easy recommendation for families, classrooms, and therapy spaces.

[Shell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read for any parent with autistic children - with the view to giving it to them to read. I only read this book this morning (in one sitting - very short and succinct!) and it was just absolutely brilliant. It probably goes without saying that it was very on-point - not at all surprising given it is written by two autistic authors.

It simplifies the complexity of this neurotype whilst empowering the reader for their own self-acceptance and celebration of their awesome 'awetistic' selves.

The is only small (which is a good thing for the kidlets reading!) and describes what autism is and is NOT. It also covers the different ways that awetistic people can experience things like noise, foods, smells, as well as friendships, shut downs, melt downs and simple strategies to help with common challenges across these areas.

I have an awetistic tween and have written a little inscription in my copy to give to him 💜

[Jakob Free · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book felt flat to me and did not connect with my experience, both in growing up and working with tweens and teens. Actually, I found this book to be borderline problematic. It seemed to skim over topics in a superficial manner and totally missed a lot of topics that I would have appreciated based on my experience, such as masking, and social fatigue, and a more realistic representation of the reality of social isolation, bullying and dating. I found the language/tone to be more appropriate for younger readers and some of my students mentioned that it came across as patronizing or infantilizing. The font/layout was not the most accessible for visually processing. I also found the 2nd chapter to be a bit too much like celebrity glorification; I think that there are ways to show people that there are autists doing lots of great stuff or even referencing the great works of autistic people without the celebrity worship vibe.

[John Sheahan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is directed at teens and tweens with autism, written by two autistic authors, and celebrates autism. As grandfather of a newly diagnosed child, I found it gently affirming of myself and my grandchild and the parents. Above all, as an older person still carrying stereotypes from the 70s despite my best efforts, it was enlightening. Again in a gentle way.
I like that one major theme could be boiled down to love - or at least respect - for every single person, regardless of anything. Just because they are human.
Even as a non-autistic person (I think), this theme affirmed my difference, that I'm OK even when I don't fit in, that my differences aren't all there is to me.
It is a workbook, with space for notes.
It is wonderful.
Thank you, Yenn and Tanya.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly recommended, both for the primary target audience of autistic teens and tweens, and for those who would like a better understanding of autism and autistic young people. Others who are not on the spectrum but may have similar feelings of being different (including those with other neurodiverse conditions) may find some useful insights here too. It's a short book and as such, it has only so much room for nuance--while it discusses how different people experience autism differently, at times it still seems to overgeneralize. That's probably unavoidable, and not a major knock against this very helpful little book.

[Lauren Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I work with many autistic kids and teenagers and read this to see if it would be a good recommendation for my clients and their families. I will definitely recommend this to anyone who is newly diagnosed and/or wanting to learn more about positive self identity and self advocacy. This book did a great job at using clear language to cover a variety of topics related to autism, and it covered challenges in a way that was neurodiversity affirming.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good for helping kids on the spectrum who are newly-diagnosed & want to understand more about themselves. Easy to read. Has thought-provoking activities for the kids to do. Will be using this in my therapy sessions with a few of those kids. I’d say age is probably late elementary through middle school.

[Leo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant little quick read that I'd reccomend for kids and adults, as well as teens. It covers really basic stuff, but in a super accessible way. I also got to give points for mentioning gender diversity!

[Kalliope_mp3 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The kind of language in this book was more focused on the teen audience than young adults, but it was still very helpful. Especially if you're like me, who has been diagnosed recently and doesn't know that much about life with autism. Super light and quick read, I recommend it :]

[Annika Grover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very very good explanations through analogies and examples of many other autistic people's perspectives, stories and advice. It was very clear and very educational. The only thing I thought they should expand was that section on bullying.

[Abby Wojciechowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great starter book for a child that was just recently diagnosed! Super helpful that there are activities to work on and can be discussed further in therapy. I wish it was a little longer and more in depth though

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written, especially for an introduction. I enjoyed it alot

[Vincent Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

clear, straightforward intro for teens or anyone about autism. i wish i had this book when i was in highschool. it talks about all sorts of things a teen might encounter, in addition to having autism

[Meryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

C’était plus orientée pour les enfants mais c’était cool quand même

[Elizabeth Farmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would recommend! Excellent & neurodiversity-affirming.

[Audra · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 11 year old has been very reluctant to learn more about autism. This book was good to read together, engaged their attention, but also kept things nice and short.

[Kaiya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though it is ment for teens and tweens it feels like the age level is definitely on the lower side. It is good for newly diagnosed people.